1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an open architecture of future radio system supporting multi-bands, multi-standards wireless and mobile communications and enabling extensibility and upgradeability of the system modules including, but not limited to, radio frequency transceiver, data converter and base-band processing core, wherein the open system platforms are based on the open wireless architecture (OWA) BIOS (basic input/output system) and framework definitions. This OWA system platform is an optimal integration of future computer architecture with the next generation wireless and mobile communications technology.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the proliferation of wireless standards in television, radio and mobile communications, compatibility issues have emerged in wireless networks and systems. Inconsistency between wireless standards is causing problems to subscribers, wireless network operators and equipment vendors. Subscribers are forced to change their handsets whenever the latest breed of standards is introduced. Network operators face the dilemma during the upgrade of a network from one generation to another due to the presence of a large number of subscribers using legacy handsets incompatible with newer generations of standards. Equipment vendors face difficulty in airing new technology because of short time-to-market requirements. Inconsistency between wireless standards is inhibiting deployment of global roaming facilities and causing problems in introducing new features and services. Users are expecting more from their mobile terminals in terms of quality of service and multimedia applications. Traditional wireless systems, with their capabilities hard-coded in them, are no longer able to keep step with this brisk growth rate.
Open Wireless Architecture (OWA) technology is the solution to the issues mentioned here. The term OWA refers to the open broadband platform, both in radio frequency (RF), base-band, network and application, that can support diverse communication standards and can integrate multiple wireless networks and systems into one common platform. To achieve this flexibility and extensibility, OWA focuses on all aspects of a communication system such as RF section, baseband processing and application domains. The flexibility and adaptability required for the converged wireless platform can be achieved by implementing the radio functionality as software modules running on a generic platform or by using extensible hardware modules.
OWA helps in realizing global roaming facilities. It allows the network operators and subscribers to use third party solutions on their systems and to customize their systems according to their liking. Using OWA we can build systems which support multiple standards, multiple bands, multiple modes and offer diverse services to its user.
However, OWA is much different from Software Defined Radio (SDR) because OWA has the following important features:                a) Different parts from different vendors, and encourage third-party vendors to develop add-on products,        b) Allow users to upgrade the hardware in all of the OWA hardware and components,        c) The system is based on open interfaces so that users can easily develop their own products and applications upon the OWA platform,        d) The application hardware modules are “plug and play”, independent with the basic OWA infrastructure.        
In a word, OWA is different from SDR because OWA basically maps various wireless standards into open interface parameters and maintain the system platform including RF, baseband, networks and applications an open architecture. Hence, in OWA systems, different modules (both hardware and software) can be from different vendors which are similar to the open computer architecture in personal computer system and open network architecture in packet router system.
However, SDR is only a radio in which the operating parameters including inter alia frequency range, modulation type, and/or output power limitations can be set or altered by software. Though SDR has been improved a lot to support re-configurability and flexibility, it is only a closed architecture in coupling different radios into one broadband transceiver. In other words, SDR consumes much more power and spectrum in exchange of the system flexibility. From the business point of view, SDR is not a cost-effective solution in commercial wireless communications.
Cognitive Radio is also different from OWA because the cognitive radio is a radio which has the capability of sensing and adapting to the environment and spectrum automatically and intelligently. However, cognitive radio is not an open system from the architecture point of view, and does not meet the requirements of the open system definition.
With this OWA architecture, the key system units including RF transceiver, CPU (central processing unit) platform and base-band processing core are fully open and extensible, especially the open RF transceiver can be operable in either statically allocated spectrum bands, or in dynamically optimized spectrum bands based on spectrum sharing and spectrum recycling techniques which maximize the spectrum utilization.
With this OWA architecture, many system modules including, but not limited to, the RF front-end module, Digital controlled oscillator module, Build-In Self-Test module, Data converter module and Base-band core module can be replaced, extended and upgraded by the users, and developed by the third-party vendors.
In conclusion, as I said in Stanford University in June 2004, the future radio is first, a Computer, then an open wireless architecture (OWA) terminal.